November 12, 2008
Fellow Pilots:
Today the JetBlue Pilots Association has formally concluded the process necessary to petition the National Mediation Board for organized representation. With our petition submitted, the mechanism is now in motion that will culminate in an election to determine the will of our pilot group.
We have notified both our CEO Dave Barger and our Board of Directors in writing regarding our intended submission. Consistent with our stated goal of setting a new standard for employee labor relations, these actions were taken prior to the final submission of our petition. It was imperative for our leaders to receive this important information directly from the source, rather than from the media or from any third party. We feel very strongly in this regard not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because it indicates the type of relationship we have today and the relationship we wish to continue in the future. The formal correspondences addressing David Barger (Letter) and the Board of Directors (Letter) individually are attached to this message for your review. They also are posted on our Web site and will be delivered to the home addresses that we have on file.
Our message was clear and sincere: We are fully supportive of our leadership; we have a deep appreciation for the special employer that JetBlue Airways is; and we wish to see our pilots and our airline remain deeply committed to each other while operating in true partnership via lawful negotiation. We outlined our primary issues with regard to our current process. Without support under the rule of law, providing for our pilots in a manner appropriate to their status as career employees often is not legally possible. This underscores our need to have a relationship based not on the benevolence of a leadership team that could transition at any time, but on a relationship where there exists a means to resolve our private discourses under the support of legal process. It is our processes that are flawed, not our people.
In the coming weeks as the National Mediation Board completes the steps necessary to execute the election, we will be distributing detailed information regarding the voting process. In the interim, general information regarding this process can be found here for your review: http://www.nmb.gov/representation/faqs-ola.html.
When official instruction reaches you however, please note the following above all else: A FAILURE TO VOTE IN THIS ELECTION WILL REPRESENT A NO VOTE. Every line pilot on our seniority list will have the opportunity to make his or her voice heard on the issue of independent, responsible, transparent representation supported by law.
We urge you to participate.
Respectfully,
Your JetBlue Pilots Association
“Our Company, Our People, Our Association”
Fellow Pilots:
Today the JetBlue Pilots Association has formally concluded the process necessary to petition the National Mediation Board for organized representation. With our petition submitted, the mechanism is now in motion that will culminate in an election to determine the will of our pilot group.
We have notified both our CEO Dave Barger and our Board of Directors in writing regarding our intended submission. Consistent with our stated goal of setting a new standard for employee labor relations, these actions were taken prior to the final submission of our petition. It was imperative for our leaders to receive this important information directly from the source, rather than from the media or from any third party. We feel very strongly in this regard not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because it indicates the type of relationship we have today and the relationship we wish to continue in the future. The formal correspondences addressing David Barger (Letter) and the Board of Directors (Letter) individually are attached to this message for your review. They also are posted on our Web site and will be delivered to the home addresses that we have on file.
Our message was clear and sincere: We are fully supportive of our leadership; we have a deep appreciation for the special employer that JetBlue Airways is; and we wish to see our pilots and our airline remain deeply committed to each other while operating in true partnership via lawful negotiation. We outlined our primary issues with regard to our current process. Without support under the rule of law, providing for our pilots in a manner appropriate to their status as career employees often is not legally possible. This underscores our need to have a relationship based not on the benevolence of a leadership team that could transition at any time, but on a relationship where there exists a means to resolve our private discourses under the support of legal process. It is our processes that are flawed, not our people.
In the coming weeks as the National Mediation Board completes the steps necessary to execute the election, we will be distributing detailed information regarding the voting process. In the interim, general information regarding this process can be found here for your review: http://www.nmb.gov/representation/faqs-ola.html.
When official instruction reaches you however, please note the following above all else: A FAILURE TO VOTE IN THIS ELECTION WILL REPRESENT A NO VOTE. Every line pilot on our seniority list will have the opportunity to make his or her voice heard on the issue of independent, responsible, transparent representation supported by law.
We urge you to participate.
Respectfully,
Your JetBlue Pilots Association
“Our Company, Our People, Our Association”
